Help topic - bedtime fears

Personalized books for a child scared of the dark

For the open door, the hall light, and the third glass of water.

Being frightened of the dark is not a problem to be corrected - it arrives in most children somewhere around three, when their imagination gets good enough to fill a dark room, and it usually leaves on its own. What helps in the meantime is not reassurance that there is nothing there, which a child hears as an argument they are losing. What helps is a version of the dark that has something friendly in it, met on an ordinary evening with the lights still on, starring a child who looks like them.

What to look for

Do not argue with the fear

A story does not have to prove the room is safe. It just has to put something gentle in it.

Read it before lights out

While the room is still bright. A book produced in the middle of a frightened night reads as a tactic.

Usually 3 to 6

It tends to arrive with a bigger imagination and leave on its own. This is a companion, not a cure.

5 stories in bedtime fears

See the whole collection
Goodnight, Little Star - personalized children's book coverGoodnight, Lily

A slow, cozy journey to dreamland where your child says goodnight to the whole wide world.

Ages 0-6

From $14.90
Journey to Dreamland - personalized children's book coverSami in Dreamland

The moment your child falls asleep, a whole world of dreams swings open.

Ages 2-6

From $14.90
Not Afraid of the Dark - personalized children's book coverSam and the Friendly Glow

When the lights go out, your child meets a friendly little glow that turns shadows into wonders.

Ages 2-6

From $14.90
The Bravest Night Light - personalized children's book coverNoah and the Bravest Night

When the night light flickers out, your child discovers the dark is not empty at all - it is full of small, glowing, friendly things.

Ages 2-8

From $14.90
The Story Chair - personalized children's book coverNina and the Story Chair

There is one chair, one blanket, and one voice that makes the dark feel smaller.

Ages 0-6

From $16.90
Free preview before you pay Reading level set to their age during setup Ships straight to their door

Common questions

How do I help my child stop being afraid of the dark?

Most children grow out of it. Until then the things that reliably help are a predictable routine, a dim light if they want one, and not treating the fear as something to be talked out of. A story gives them a friendlier picture of the dark to hold onto.

Is being scared of the dark normal?

Very - it usually appears around three and fades over the following couple of years. If it is getting worse rather than better, or it is affecting their sleep or their days, that is worth a conversation with your GP or paediatrician.

Other help topics

bravery (28)kindness (9)big feelings (12)gratitude (5)making friends (4)a child who hates reading (6)a busy brain (6)

Browse by theme instead

adventure books for kidsbooks about big feelingsbooks for childhood milestonesfantasy and magic books for kidsbooks for birthdays and holidaysbedtime books for kids

Will it actually look like them?

  • Reference portrait: Deep brown skin, tightly coiled hair, age 5The illustrated character kept from it: Deep brown skin, tightly coiled hairDeep brown skin, tightly coiled hair
  • Reference portrait: Fine, fair, barely-there hair, age 1The illustrated character kept from it: Fine, fair, barely-there hairFine, fair, barely-there hair
  • Reference portrait: Straight black hair with a fringe, age 7The illustrated character kept from it: Straight black hair with a fringeStraight black hair with a fringe
  • Reference portrait: Curly ginger hair and freckles, age 4The illustrated character kept from it: Curly ginger hair and frecklesCurly ginger hair and freckles
  • Reference portrait: Round glasses, age 6The illustrated character kept from it: Round glassesRound glasses
  • Reference portrait: Long braids with beads, age 8The illustrated character kept from it: Long braids with beadsLong braids with beads
  • Reference portrait: A visible hearing aid, age 5The illustrated character kept from it: A visible hearing aidA visible hearing aid
  • Reference portrait: A baby with no hair, 6 monthsThe illustrated character kept from it: A baby with no hairA baby with no hair

Skin tone, hair texture and freckles all carried through - including the cases most generators get wrong. See it up close

See inside a finished bookWhat happens to the photoHow we compare

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Make them the hero of the story.

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